The Many Avatars of Barfi

With the variety of sweet recipes available in Indian cuisine, one can easily conclude that India is a nation with a sweet tooth. One can find all types of sweet dishes from deep-fried to baked and cooked to frozen. While desserts like jalebi and gulab jamun are usually store-bought, barfi is one of the sweet recipes that is usually made at home. Due to this, you are bound to find many kinds of barfi recipes. The main ingredients, condensed milk and sugar, remain the same in this Indian milk fudge but different regions and cultures make their own additions like fruits, dry fruits and even vegetables, making barfi one of the most versatile desserts. The ingredients are cooked until they become solid and it is then cut into square or diamond shapes before being ready to serve. Some people garnish barfi with a layer of vark or edible silver. In its most basic form, barfi is milky white in colour which is perhaps why this mithai or sweet dish derives its name from the Persian word barf which means snow.

Milk Barfi RecipeThe most basic barfi is milk barfi and the easiest to make. Follow this milk barfi recipe to make this dessert at home.

Method for Milk Barfi Recipe:1) Add the ghee, milk and milk powder in a pan.2) On a low flame, mix all the ingredients until they blend to form a smooth paste. This should take about two minutes.3) Next, add rose water and sugar. Mix well.4) Continue cooking on a low to medium flame for another six to seven minutes. Remember to keep stirring.5) The mixture should be thick by now. Turn off the heat.6) Brush some ghee on a flat pan and transfer the mixture to the pan.7) Press and spread the mixture uniformly on the flat pan.8) Sprinkle the chopped pistachios and almonds.9) Cover the flat pan with a cling wrap and keep it aside. The mixture needs to cool down to set and become firm.10) Once cool, cut into the shape of your choice and serve.

Expert Tips to Make Barfi RecipeWhile the barfi recipe is one of the easiest Indian sweet recipes, it requires a lot of patience. There are also certain things to keep in mind during its making to achieve the right consistency, firmness and texture. A slight mistake while making and the barfi could turn out too hard or too soft. If you're a beginner, these expert tips will come in handy.

Types of BarfisSince barfi is one of the sweet recipes which is most commonly made at home, there are many types of barfis you will find across the country. Apart from the main ingredients of the barfi recipe, the primary ingredient keeps changing resulting in several types of barfi from coconut barfi to sev barfi. Read about the top 10 types of barfi you will find in India and what makes them special. If you want to get experimental and try making something different from the basic milk barfi recipe, check out the following barfi recipes.

Beetroot and Carrot Barfi RecipeMake it healthier still, add carrots! The two most healthy vegetables - carrots and beetroots - in your barfi recipe, that's surely going to take care of the guilt of indulging in one too many sweets. Follow the easy instructions and step-by-step method in this Hindi recipe video to make the beetroot and carrot barfi at home.jwplayer